Dhaka means the world to me. Most of my professional life has been here and a large chunk of my personal life is intrinsically linked with Dhaka. I am never tired of the city. Yes, there are obstacles. Yes, there are resource shortages. Yes, there are insane traffic snarls. But there is one thing which is never in short supply — great people!
Everyone talks about food during pujo. More often than not, khichuri, polao, ilish, chingri and mangsho tends to land leading roles in these discussions with luchi, and cholar dal playing solid supporting roles. And of course, beyond all this there are sweets. Artful, creative, delicate, yet honest to god mishti. Sandesh, kamolabhog, chandrapuli, narkel naru… the list can go on.
I got in the dog house with some of my friends for saying Shubho is not the appropriate salutation for Mahalaya since it is a sombre and solemn occasion. So, I’ll steer clear of all arguments and say this instead.
Here is another gem from my in-law’s family — succulent jute greens or ‘paat shaak.’ Very seasonal. Cooked with little prawns in shell and enough garlic to have Dracula skip this city for some time to come.
The very famous and iconic Mughlai paratha. This particular one was made with duck egg, as opposed to chicken egg. The cubed potatoes on the side were an added attraction in my salad days. The Mughlai paratha in Dhaka is a crispier version.
When the tasked with writing this, I mentally balked. After all, I have not done a long piece in a while. But then I thought, maybe this is a journey worth telling.
Ladies and gentlemen, on your left are cubes of a type of mango whose season is as short as my attention span. This is Haribhanga.
I was reading an article by Fiona Caulfield that got published in The Guardian.
A very big attraction for us in Shantiniketan is this little shack by the Prantik rail station.
We went back to Shantiniketan. After 4 long years. And found that the place has changed almost beyond recognition.
Singapore grows on you. Once you look beyond the antiseptic and the template.
Bose Cabin, a venerable institution. Netaji Subhash Bose was a patron of this place. it still is the meeting place for the cognoscenti of Narayanganj, otherwise famous for hosiery and textiles.
The second night of Chowzter Asia gathering took us to the birthplace of an iconic Singapore dish - Roland. Where Singapore chilli crab was invented. The country has a fairly recent history compared to our part of the world.
I am a proud Chowzter - a great group of passionate food bloggers who scout their home cities in search of the good and the authentic. Chowzter is not about fine dining. Chowzter is all about the connection between the place and its people.
Having experienced a warung where no one spoke English and there were no menus, we decided to try the high end of warungs. We found one close to our hotel. Come to think of it, everything was close to our hotel.